NAMM 2018: Given NAMM’s status as the musical instrument trade show, you’d expect an appearance from one of the biggest names in guitars to be a given, but Gibson will not be attending this year.

Rather than its customary third-floor stand at the Anaheim MI staple, the company is instead focusing its efforts on the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which takes place on 9-12 January 2018.

The move seems to tally with Gibson Brands’ recent statement regarding the shock move to end development for Cakewalk music software, where it stated, “The decision was made to better align with the company’s acquisition strategy that is heavily focused on growth in the global consumer electronics audio business under the Philips brand.”

As well as Philips, the ambitious group also plays host to audio companies TEAC, Tascam and Onkyo.

This year's no-show follows 2017’s rather sparse Winter NAMM stand, which featured a few new Custom models, but was more notable for its absence of a much talked-about, mysterious new solidbody design, which was showcased instead to tech-heads at CES. That guitar was later released as the Modern Double Cut and finally made its NAMM debut in Nashville in July.

Last year also saw the sale of the company’s Memphis factory, which itself came amid profit warnings.